Windows
by motorized-sasquatch
Summary: The Muggles like to say that the eyes are the windows into the soul.  The saying holds true for wizards and witches as well.


So, another writer at this site, who asked not to be named, wrote this story. I liked it a lot, but he took it down, saying he wasn't happy with the style or the final result. When I noticed, I messaged him a few times and asked if I could adopt it and he said no problem.

So, this is my slightly re-worked version of the story I adopted. I hope you enjoy it! I tried to keep true to what the original writer wrote, so it's probably a bit different to my other stories.

* * *

Rose Weasley's eyes come straight from her father. They're bright and clear and blue, like the sky on a sunny fall day.

When Rose is happy, her eyes are almost blindingly bright. Like the sun on a summer day, everything her eyes look upon seem a little brighter for it.

When Rose is sad, those same eyes turn dark, and dull, like the ocean when a squall is approaching. Their storminess acts as a warning for her family. The girl is sad, and needs cheering up, so do it.

Unfortunately, while Ron and Hermione can read those eyes perfectly, most of her relatives and the general population of Hogwarts cannot, and as she grows older, Rose will often remain without comfort on bad days. And, as Rose grows older and her burning _need_ to live up to the _legend_ of her parents begins to consume her, she will have a lot of bad days.

When Rose is angry, her eyes seem to crackle like arcing electricity. One is almost afraid to move while under their glare, for fear of being zapped as if by a bolt of lightning.

_Everybody_ can read those eyes.

* * *

Like Lily Evans and Harry Potter before him, Albus Potter's eyes are kelly green, like a well-kept Quidditch pitch after a sprinkle of rain. However, unlike the cheerful glow of Lily's eyes, and the rock-solid resoluteness of his father's, Albus' eyes seem to be just a bit darker and more intense.

When Albus is truly joyed by something, his green eyes seem to twinkle, just like those of his namesake. They glitter in the light like a well-cut emerald.

If the ghost of Severus Snape saw Albus' sad eyes, he'd find them very familiar. They look identical to the ones Lily Evans wore after her best friend in the world called her a 'mudblood'.

When angry, Albus' eyes seem able to pierce through anything. A person unfortunate enough to incur Albus' wrath will find themselves wondering if they're going to start bleeding under his gaze, which is as sharp as any _sectumsempra_ curse.

* * *

In a wizarding world filled with icy blues, bright greens, silvers, grays, and magentas, Augusta Longbottom's (the second Augusta Longbottom) large brown eyes may seem a little ordinary. In truth they're _anything _but ordinary.

When Augusta is happy, which is most of the time, her eyes glow with a warmth that almost anyone can bask in. It's because her eyes are almost never judgmental. They're gentle and accepting. _You're all welcome here._

When saddened, her eyes are like those of a normally happy puppy that has just been firmly scolded. Hurt, confused, and slightly betrayed.

Almost anyone who looks into her eyes when she's sad feels an irrational urge to hug her and do anything in their to make her feel better. Mercifully for those close to her, Augusta only uses this power for good.

An angry Augusta Longbottom is a rare sight, but there's no mistaking it in her eyes when it happens. The warm glow and gentle strength is replaced with a baleful, almost accusatory glare that drains the willpower and aggression out of almost anybody. Anyone who makes her mad feels an intense guilt for doing it, even if they were in the right.

* * *

The almost inhumanly gray eyes that are a hallmark of the Malfoy family have often been likened to metal, and Scorpius Malfoy's are no different.

However, the type of metal seems to depend on his mood.

When he's happy, Scorpius' eyes are like mercury at room temperature. They're liquid and flowing, with a quicksilver shine. When he flicks them about, they almost seem to dance.

When Scorpius is sad, those same eyes go from mercury to lead. Like a heavy sky on a cold winter morning, Scorpius' sad eyes can suck almost all of the life out of a room. Everyone who falls under their gaze feels just a little bit colder afterwards.

When angry, Scorpius' eyes are like steel. Gray, incredibly strong, and very, very heavy.

There's a lot of weight behind Scorpius' maddened eyes. His deepest insecurities and emotional baggage begin to surface and one can practically see the conflicts he feels over his name and his very existence. Mix in Scorpius' intense desire to prove that he isn't a Death-Eating monster spawn and the certain amount of fear one feels when confronted with an angry Malfoy, and a lesser person could practically be crushed under Scorpius' glare.

* * *

The first time Albus Severus Potter lays his green eyes on Augusta Longbottom (the second), is at the sorting.

As she cheerfully bounds up to the sorting stool, Albus finds himself temporarily mesmerized at how her two dark-blonde pigtails seem to dance and move about as if they've got minds of their own. Maybe they're prehensile, and she can use them for writing or lifting goblets of pumpkin juice.

Hufflepuff!

As he watches her skip over to the Hufflepuff table, cheerfully waving at her clapping father as she does so, Albus can't help but smile slightly at her boundless enthusiasm.

He might have watched her for a bit longer, but the next name catches his attention. Augusta is forgotten completely.

Malfoy. He knows that name. Everyone does. A moment later, Scorpius Malfoy is a Slytherin. Figures.

Now, it's Albus' turn.

An instant passes, and then Albus' necktie turns green and silver.

As it turns out, Slytherin's green is exactly the same color as Albus' eyes.

_'This...is interesting.'

* * *

_

The first time Rose really _looks_ at Scorpius Malfoy, is approximately a month and a half into her first year.

Her Transfigurations class has just received their first graded assignments back. A two-foot essay on basic principles and theories of Transfiguration, nothing major.

However, of all the Gryffindor and Slytherin first-years taking the class, only one has received an O; Scorpius Malfoy. She only knows because a few of his fellow Slytherins are congratulating him.

"_You've done a fine job, Mr. Malfoy. I expect your future results to be similar." It's about as congratulatory as Headmistress McGonagall gets. _

"_Thank you, Professor." Scorpius blushes slightly. _

"_It's a shame the rest of us aren't as bright as you, Malfoy. We'd certainly have an easier time winning the House Cup from those bloody Gryffindors." agrees Katherine Nott, who is rather pleased with her own E. _

_Scorpius nods politely, but says nothing otherwise. _

Rose looks down at her E+, and then over at Albus' E-, and grumbles a bit. It looks as if she's already failing to beat him in every class as her father requested.

She grumbles a little, and then turns a scrutinizing eye towards Scorpius.

Before, she only saw him as the quietly dignified, occasionally standoffish, slightly spoiled rich boy that her father doesn't seem to like. He also tends to smirk and sneer at people he perceives as feeble-minded, but she supposes he can't help that.

Now, she sees all that, and one more thing. He's intelligent. _Very _intelligent.

Rose's eyes see a worthy rival.

The problem is, she's fairly certain that Scorpius has never seen her in any light. He's certainly never bothered to acknowledge her existence.

_'I'll beat him on the next one.' decides Rose, even if Scorpius has no knowledge of his self-appointed rival, at least he provides a benchmark for her to compare her own performance to.

* * *

_

By second year, Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy have reached an understanding.

By no means are they friends. Quiet the opposite, in fact. In spite of sharing a house, Scorpius is a bit too arrogant and has slightly too big an ego to share much space with Albus Potter. Albus is too quiet and too intense to be able to get through to somebody like Malfoy, who sees him as a rather odd bloke indeed.

But, when they do look at each other, each boy can see the same thing in the other's eyes.

The looming shadows of their respective fathers.

Scorpius sees it, when he realizes that if Albus were a less honest and ethical person, the level of respect and reverence he gets for simply being the son/clone of The Boy Who Lived and then Came Back to Kick Voldemort's Ass is an advantage Albus could wield to keep the entire school under his thumb. But he doesn't.

Albus sees it, when he realizes someone with less patience and inner fortitude than Scorpius Malfoy possesses would probably turn right nasty and horrible under all of the stares, whispered insults, and unfair treatment the son of Draco Malfoy and grandson of Lucius Malfoy is doomed to receive. But Scorpius always maintains his quiet dignity and remains a benign presence at Hogwarts, defending himself expertly but never being an aggressor himself.

Indeed, Scorpius and Albus are not friends, but allies who will stand up for one another if necessary. The mutual understanding and respect allow them to keep a cordial, if distant relationship through their seven years at Hogwarts.

"_...I think someone needs to teach you to show a little more respect, Malfoy. After what your family did, I think you could stand to be a little more humble." snarls Malcolm McLaggen as he and Eoghan Finnegan advance on Scorpius._

_The Malfoy merely sneers and draws his own wand, not letting his fear show._

_Just before the hexes start to fly, another voice interrupts the proceedings._

"_What's going on?" The two Gryffindors turn to see a rather irritated Albus Potter looking on. _

"_N-n-nothing, Mr. Potter! We just had a little disagreement with Malfoy, is all!" stutters Finnegan. _

_Albus glances over at Scorpius, who is backed against a corner and is in a defensive posture. He doubts that the Malfoy would start a fight with such unappealing odds. Plus, he'd heard McLaggen's words. _

"_Get the hell out of here, both of you." grits out Albus. _

"_Of course, M-m-mr. Potter!" McLaggen yelps as he and Finnegan take off in the direction of Gryffindor tower. _

_After replacing his wand and smoothing himself out, Scorpius looks up to see Albus still standing there. The two share a curt nod of understanding, and go their separate ways.

* * *

_

It's third year by the time Albus Potter realizes _just how_ differently people see him compared to everyone else. Hogwarts is a mostly friendly place, and most wizards and witches at the school are met with a relaxed, amiable familiarity, but not Albus.

There's an almost reverential way to how people here treat him.

The middle Potter is no fool. Slytherin or not, he knows that his clone-like likeness to his father awes people. A pair of glasses and a scar are all he needs to make the transformation complete.

Albus has Madam Kelly, the school's nurse, perform a refractive charm on his eyes to prevent him from ever needing corrective lenses again. He has also taken to gelling his messy black hair straight back, just to disrupt the resemblance to his father even further. He even considers charming his eyes and hair to a different color, but decides against going that far.

Albus understands that his somewhat moody and serious personality tends to keep people at bay, but he can't help that. It's just how he is. He's sure that his brother James has such an easy time making friends and convincing others that he's just another bloke is because he's so warm and open and funny, but that simply isn't a facade that Albus could pull off.

But, it's more than that. It's the way people stare at him when he walks past. The way teachers bend over backwards to help him, even though other students could use the help more. The way people refer to him as 'Mr. Potter' even though he's barely 14.

Even his own family treats him with kid gloves. His younger sister Lily looks up to him, but rarely chats or laughs with him, or asks him to spend time with her. His older cousins are nice to him, but always seem to be slightly on edge when he's around.

Of course, all of that could just be a result of his personality and being the only Potter/Weasley sorted into Slytherin, but Albus isn't sure. Still, when even one's own family keeps their distance, life becomes rather lonely.

There's only one person at Hogwarts who sees past all of this.

Augusta Longbottom does not see 'Albus Severus Potter'. She only sees "Al(!)" and Albus is incredibly thankful for it.

When winter comes, other students will watch him as he takes walks outside, but they won't invite him to join in their activities.

Augusta Longbottom will gleefully throw snowballs at his head and bum, laughing all the while and demanding that he do the same.

_**Splat! **__Albus grunts as he wipes the snow out of his hair, but he doesn't look angry. _

"_Come on, Al! There's all this snow and you're letting it go to waste!" cheers Augusta as she prepares a second assault. _

Albus always joins in on the fun. Even though Augusta's movements are clumsy, and her bright, slightly bohemian clothing makes her an easy target, Albus' snowballs always seem to _just_ miss. When she declares it time for snow angels, he lets her push him into the snowdrifts.

When Albus gets annoyed with someone and makes a sharp remark, they will usually run off in panic, after apologizing profusely.

When he snips at Augusta Longbottom, she will jump onto his back and order him to give her a piggy-back ride to her next class, as punishment for Albus _"being a mean ol' sod!"_

Albus always does it.

Most people won't talk to Albus, unless they have to. He's simply too intimidating, with his pedigree and his intense nature.

Augusta chatters constantly whenever she's with him, forcing him to speak to her and filling in the silences with cheerful banter and incredibly cheesy jokes when he doesn't.

Other wizards and witches are afraid to even touch him. Even handshakes are over quickly.

Augusta, on the other hand, loves to pinch Albus' cheeks when he's grumpy. She nudges him with her elbows and bumps him with her slightly wide hips when she's laughing at one of her own terrible jokes and wants him to laugh too. She ruffles his carefully styled hair whenever she can. She also makes him hold out his arm for her to take when they're out on walks, so he can _"properly escort her like a gentleman should escort a lady."_ He does that too.

Augusta Longbottom can see past Albus Severus Potter and find 'just Al.'

But, more than that, she can see in his eyes that all Albus Severus Potter really needs is a best friend, and she's only too happy to oblige.

* * *

It's during lunch on a dreary, rainy Saturday in fourth year when Rose Weasley sees Augusta Longbottom burst cheerfully into the room and skip over to where Albus is sitting with the Slytherins.

Augusta rarely sits with the Hufflepuffs anymore.

Her billowy, rainbow-colored skirt, bright purple sweater, blond hair, and million-watt smile seem to immediately illuminate the drab dining hall. Rose isn't the only one to notice.

But Rose notices something else.

Augusta's eyes seem to be glowing with happiness, even more so than her loud clothes and blond hair.

An unforgiving schedule and simply life at Hogwarts have been wearing on Rose lately.

_'Just where is she getting all of that energy from? I wish I were that cheerful...'_

If one looked into Rose Weasley's eyes at that instant, there would've seen something unusual there.

Envy.

* * *

Scorpius doesn't see past Rose Weasley's carefully crafted shell until fifth year.

Rose has always come across as the brightest, most enviable witch at Hogwarts, always balancing perfect scores on assignments with masterful Quidditch playing and dutiful performance as a Prefect for Gryffindor.

Scorpius tends to just ignore her presence, not concerning himself with the business of Rose or any other Weasley. Partially due to his father's requests and partly due to Scorpius simply not caring.

Though, he does find Rose's habit of covertly (or so she thinks) glancing at every one of his assignments and exams after they've been graded rather annoying.

OWLs are very rapidly approaching, and Scorpius is doing some late reviewing in the library one evening. The History tome he's reading is dull, but still far more exciting than Professor Binns' class. In fact, it's the sheer dullness of the class that's forcing Scorpius to study it, as he normally just sleeps through Binns' lessons. History of Magic isn't like Potions, which Scorpius loves and could probably pass at the NEWT level already.

A shuddering breath and quiet sob from behind him grabs his attention. Scorpius subtly turns his head and in his peripherals, he can see Rose Weasley at a table behind him.

She isn't looking good.

Her red hair admittedly is rather large and unruly under the best of circumstances, but now has grown into this vast monster of tangles and messiness that looks as though it is poised to strike and eat her head (or perhaps somebody else's!) when nobody is looking.

There's a magically-fastened brace on her arm, courtesy of Madam Kelly. It's there to keep her bones stable after being struck by a rogue bludger that badly damaged her wrist last week. Scorpius wonders how painful it is. It must've been pretty awful, if the healing charms meant to stitch bones and cartilage back together aren't being trusted enough to heal Rose's injury.

Rose is the keeper for the Gryffindor quidditch team, and practices relentlessly.

There are dark circles under her eyes, her red-and-gold necktie is halfway out from under her sweater-vest, and her prefect's badge is badly skewed on the collar of her robes.

Rose is a fifth-year prefect and in a few hours she'll have to make her late-night rounds, which cuts deeply into the sleep she _desperately _needs right now.

Nobody else can sit at Rose's table, because it's buried in several layers of open books, parchments, quills, and other school-related detritus. Scorpius can't even see the wood surface.

Rose is taking every available class this year(even Divination!), and by extension, every OWL. The OWLs will be sat in a week.

Scorpius thinks she probably has a time turner.

But, the most telling thing is her eyes. As Scorpius looks into them, just for a second, he can see how dark and clouded and utterly _burned out_ they look.

Scorpius has never been very active socially at Hogwarts. The quidditch players sneer at him, the members of the academic clubs seem to be afraid of him, even the teachers who have their own mini-societies of students seem wary. It leaves him with a lot of free time to ensure that his grades are excellent. He can't fathom having as hectic a school life as Rose seems to lead.

Rose, on the other hand, seems to be _expected _to join every possible team and club, to take every class and get an O on every test; or at least she expects it of herself. It's all caught up with her now, and to Scoprius, it looks as though she's about to break. Rose doesn't need a dark lord and death eaters to fight, with herself as her own worst enemy.

Scorpius watches as Rose shudders again, another quiet sob leaving her lips. He sees a few tears escape her eyes just before she puts her face into her uninjured hand and seems to collapse in on herself.

Scorpius realizes then and there that Rose Weasley isn't just the stern prefect, the master keeper who strikes fear into the hearts of Hogwarts' chasers, and the genius student who is possibly the only fifth year more brilliant than himself. She's also a teenager, a human being who has pushed herself and pushed herself and is now a student dangerously close to some edge of sanity and exhaustion that he's certainly never approached.

He makes a snap decision. He and Rose have never been particularly friendly, and he has a hunch that she smiles with smug glee whenever she gets a higher mark than he does. Scorpius may generally ignore Rose but he's aware of her capabilities and intelligence and has far too much respect for them to allow her to just have a breakdown in the middle of the library, in full view of everyone.

He quickly shoves his book into his bag, stands, and quietly makes his way over to Rose. She's so exhausted and sad that she doesn't even hear him approach.

Scorpius gently rests a hand on her shoulder and squeezes gently, and her head snaps up in surprise.

For just a second, when she sees who's hand it is, Rose's tear-stained face looks absolutely petrified in terror. It's like she's just seen a Boggart approaching, and can do nothing to stop him.

If there's one thing she can't handle in this state, it's Scorpius Malfoy looking down his nose and sneering at her. Her self-appointed rival is one of the reasons she tries so hard, after all. He doesn't seem to care about comparing grades, but that's probably just because his are so _bloody good. _

She's at her weakest now, and he could crush her with a few words, and leave her a sobbing, hysterical mess right there in the library. But, instead of a sneer, or a cutting remark, Scorpius gently rubs her back, just below her neck, leans down, and whispers some gentle words of encouragement to her, before suggesting that she gather her things and follow him. She is understandably hesitant, but when she looks into his eyes, something tells her that he can be trusted, at least for right now.

She begins to pack her things, but with a swish of Scorpius' wand, all of her books and parchments neatly file themselves into her bag. Rose looks appreciative.

Scorpius quietly escorts Rose to the kitchens. Rose didn't know that was where they were headed, but doesn't really care at this point. After Scorpius tickles the pear and they enter the kitchen, Zimby the house elf immediately runs up to Scorpius with a greeting. She's the one who always feeds Scorpius when he comes down for a late night snack.

Scorpius greets Zimby, and requests a mug of tea for himself. Rose asks for hot chocolate when prompted. After also asking Zimby for some of her famous sugar cookies, Scorpius sits Rose down at one of the rough wooden tables at the far end of the kitchen and plunks himself down across from her.

A second later, two mugs and the biggest tray of cookies either teen has ever seen is dropped in front of them.

After filling Rose with cookies and chocolate until she's fit to burst, Scorpius gently asks her how she's feeling.

For the next three hours, Scorpius is a quiet ear and supportive hand-grip for Rose to vent to and hold onto for comfort. Scorpius hears all about growing up in the shadow of parents, something he can definitely relate to.

"_Do you know what McGonagall said to me on my first day? That I should make sure to be a role model for the other girls in my year, because I'm the daughter of one of the greatest witches Hogwarts ever had and I should know how to be one. Meanwhile, I'm having trouble finding my dorm and I'm scared to death of everything..."_

He hears Rose talk about how her parents seem to always have any number of ideas of what she should be doing with her future, ideas that Rose rarely likes. Not only that, Rose says her parents rarely fight over things, except when her future is being discussed, usually without her input.

"_I love my father, I really do. But he can be such a git. Apparently the only career option I have is keeper for the Chudley Cannons. I suggest that I'd like to do anything else and he just pretends he can't hear me. And my mother always looks disappointed when I dare suggest I want a job that doesn't involve constant struggle against some force of evil or whatever. Frankly I'm not interested in fighting for the rights of whatever magical creature, or maintaining law and order. I just want to find a job that makes me happy and gives me a bit of challenge. Is that so much to ask?"_

He hears how Hugo has always been the golden child of the family, who can do whatever he wants and her parents will be supportive of it no matter what.

"_When Hugo was eight, he told my parents that he wanted to go to America and be a muggle 'rodeo clown' . Do you know what my parents did? My mum bought him 5 different books all about the old American west. I don't even get five books for Christmas! And my dad took him to Spain to watch bullfighting. Ugh."_

"_Perhaps they were just indulging him because he was a small child?" asks Scorpius. _

"_Perhaps they were, but things haven't changed a bit since then."_

He hears about how hard it is to be heard and seen in such a large, loud family as the Weasleys, something he can't relate to at all.

"_I'm afraid I'll never understand that sort of predicament." smiles Scorpius. "Only child, like every Malfoy."_

"_I'm not sure if I should envy or pity you. Probably both." Rose smiles ruefully as she says it. _

Scorpius squeezes her hand comfortingly when she tells him that her grandfather is dying.

"_Grandpa Arthur has always been the one who understands me. Or at least the one who appreciates my presence. Dad and Uncle Harry and James only want to play Quidditch with me, so heaven forbid if I don't. Uncle George and his kids never want to include me in their pranks because they think I'll rat them out. Mum and Uncle Percy and his kids only ever want to talk about work or academics. Lily and Dom just talk about boys and Witch Weekly, and since I don't spend my life giggling and playing with my hair, they never have anything to do with me. Hugo and the Scamanders just live in their own little dream world. Even my Grandma Molly just wants to teach me to cook and lectures me about my manners and whatever else."_

"_What about Albus?" asks Scorpius. _

"_Albus just sits and glares at everyone." Scorpius laughs at that. _

"_But Grandpa Arthur has always been happy to just sit with me and talk about anything He doesn't feel the need to impart any wisdom or tell me that I should be doing any one thing with my life. He just lets me be myself and I'm only too happy to listen to him in return. And now he's dying and I don't know what to do..."_

When it comes time for Rose to do her rounds, Rose is clearly not happy to be leaving the warm comfort of the kitchens and Scorpius' presence. Scorpius tells her to blow off rounds. When she tells him she'll get in trouble, he tells her to just blame her absence on him.

Scorpius can see the gratitude in her eyes.

A short while later, Rose succumbs to sleep, leaning against Scorpius with her head on his shoulder. A small smile graces her lips. Scorpius smiles too, even though her giant hair keeps getting into his face. He orders another mug of tea and is content to just sit quietly, enjoying the warmth of Rose against his side and the peaceful chaos that is the Hogwarts kitchen.

It has to be said, it was probably during fifth year when Rose Weasley's eyes began to see the real Scorpius Malfoy as well.

* * *

In sixth year, that Hufflepuff git (according to Albus Potter) Ulysses Smith asks Augusta Longbottom for a date. She turns him down.

When asked later why she rejected the cutest 'Puff of her year, she says it's because he's not cute on the inside. She also says she fancies someone else.

These two events shift something in Albus, and over the course of the rest of sixth year, his green eyes start to view Augusta in a rather different light.

Instead of that irreverent girl with the horrible sense of humour, she's become the fun, engaging girl who always tries to make those around her smile.

Instead of the clumsy clod who can barely fly a broom in a straight line, she's the adventurous young lady who will try anything once, even if she'll probably be terrible at it.

Instead of the weird girl who looks as though she dresses herself in the dark, she's become the open-minded girl with a unique sense of style.

Instead of the slightly chubby, awkward girl with the childish pigtails, she's now a curvy and pretty young woman. With the childish pigtails.

Rather than being the almost grandmotherly person who always brings Albus chocolate frogs and takes him out on walks when he's feeling down, she's become the most dependable pillar of his young life, someone who is unwaveringly and unhesitatingly by his side, no matter what. She's always there for him.

Never is this more apparent than when Albus' grandfather dies, and Albus is a wreck for weeks.

But more than anything, she's gone from being the friend and confidant Albus Potter always needed, to the young woman who has stolen his heart and will not give it back.

And she fancies someone else.

Albus is gutted by that, and it keeps him from acting on his feelings. Weeks of investigation into who could possibly be the young man Augusta fancies are fruitless, though a few brave people in Hufflepuff seem amused by his efforts, and say they're sure he'll find out soon.

Some more time passes, before Scorpius Malfoy of all people, tells Albus to just square up, stop being a coward, and ask her out.

"_The worst she can do is say no. Just grow some bollocks and ask, Potter. It might be your lucky day."_

Something in Malfoy's dancing silver eyes tells Albus that Scorpius knows more than he's letting on. Albus also thinks that Malfoy has been spending an awful lot of time with his cousin lately, but now is not the time to think about _that._

But, at the next Hogsmeade weekend, Albus asks Augusta Longbottom for a date-date, with hand-holding and everything. Maybe even a little snogging (he hopes!)

_**Thwap!**__ Albus wasn't sure what to expect when he asked Augusta for a date, but getting lightly whapped over the head was no what he expected. _

"_Ouch! What was that for!"_

"_You bloody well took your time, you git! I was wondering if you'd ever ask!" she chides him before taking his hand. "But I'm glad you did." replies Augusta.  
_

_Albus is struck dumb for a moment, before speaking again. "I was the someone else, wasn't I?"_

"_Yes you were, Al." she grins. _

"_Oops. I suppose that explains why all of your housemates seemed so amused when I was trying to find out who you fancied."_

But, she has accepted. And, judging by how her eyes are glowing more warmly and brightly than ever, she doesn't mind _too much_ that he took so long to ask.

Albus' eyes begin to twinkle a lot more after he and Augusta become a couple.

* * *

In seventh year, Rose Weasley realizes that there's something wrong with her vision.

Lately, it seems that she can only see the world in black and white. The bright colors of Hogwarts and it's grounds have faded into this awful gray sludge that she has to slog through, while making her way towards some bright and colorful place the future that may or may not even exist. Others think it does, but Rose isn't so sure.

That's not to say that Rose is depressed or unhappy, because lately, Rose has never been happier. She missed out on Head Girl after taking a more relaxed attitude towards her Prefect duties, and now she only practices Quidditch twice a week instead of for hours on end every other day.

She's still an amazing keeper and her grades are still excellent, but now that she's pulled back and is taking life at a more reasonable pace, it's a lot more enjoyable, including life at Hogwarts.

No, the reason Rose's blindingly blue eyes are seeing the world in shades of gray is because the only thing she can see in living colour is Scorpius Malfoy.

The world suddenly becomes a lot brighter and cheerier whenever he's near, these days. The gray, drab sludge of the world seems to just be blown away by his bright silver eyes and somewhat cocky grin. Needless to say, Rose is spending a lot of time with Scorpius nowadays. She has been since fifth year, if we're being honest.

It's nearing the end of seventh year, with NEWTs looming large, when Rose makes a decision.

She and Scorpius are enjoying a walk around the Hogwarts grounds, having taken a break from NEWT reviewing, at Scorpius' suggestion. After the fifth year incident, Rose is only too happy to take breaks.

They're walking along the lake, with Scorpius telling some happy story from his childhood, when everything just seems to come together.

The sun is illuminating Scorpius' pale skin and hair, making him look even paler than usual. The wind is blowing his bangs slightly to the side. He's just laughed his loud, slightly nasally laugh, at a funny juncture in his story. He's wearing a rogueish slanted grin.

His impossibly reflective eyes are staring into hers. His arm and hand are very warm across her shoulders. She feels very warm and relaxed in his presence. She's with someone who completely understands her and enjoys being with her. She's happy and and content and having fun and there's simply nothing that can ruin this.

For Rose, time seems to stand still.

She decides right then and there that Scorpius is the man she's going to marry. His bright presence in her gray life has become something she can't live without anymore.

She's going to marry him, be Mrs. Weasley-Malfoy (she's already decided on the hyphen too) even if she has to get down on _her _knee and propose to _him _for Merlin's sake!

To hell with what her family will think. To hell with what _his _family will think. They aren't even dating yet, and it'll undoubtedly be a long, difficult process, but she's going to make this happen. She and him might only be friends now, but hey...isn't that how her parents started?

Her first act as Scorpius' (unbeknown to him) future wife is to wrap an arm around Scorpius' waist as they walk along, and pull herself closer to him, smiling warmly up to him as she does.

Scorpius is shocked into silence for a moment.

Then, he gently tightens the arm already around her shoulders and pulls her closer still, returning the smile and giving her shoulder a friendly little squeeze with his hand.

They remain locked together for most of the walk, even when they trip and fall in unison over a tree root, and laugh like idiots about it afterwards.

* * *

Five years later, Albus feels rather awkward in his very expensive formal robes, standing near the altar with several other former Slytherins, but his eyes are twinkling nonetheless.

All around him are the white trappings of an outdoor wedding. Scorpius is standing near the altar, looking very happy, but his eyes are flicking about nervously.

The Potters, Weasleys, and scores of others are at the ancient and beautiful grounds of Malfoy Manor, there to see Scorpius and Rose marry. Albus isn't the best man and Augusta isn't the maid of honor, but Rose and Scorpius still insist they be part of the ceremony.

Much has changed in the past five years.

Albus and Augusta married three years after graduating from Hogwarts, and as soon as that happened, they left to take a two-year world tour/honeymoon, which Augusta returned from pregnant. Augusta writes for her mother's newspaper, and is set to take it over. Albus has taken a quiet job at the Ministry, in the Department of Mysteries. He is very thankful for the bureaucratic quagmire of the Ministry, as it keeps him far away from the public eye.

Upon leaving Hogwarts with at least an 'E' (but with a couple of O's) in every single NEWT exam she took, Rose had to find a job. Though her parents had been screaming things like 'Quidditch!' (Ron) and 'Ministry of Magic!' (Hermione), Rose shocked everyone by announcing her intent to work as a counselor for magical children at St. Mungo's.

Scorpius' immense knowledge of potions and their ingredients combined with his perfect 'O's on the potions OWLs and NEWTs made him a shoe-in for the position of Hogwarts Potions Master after a very aged Horace Slughorn choked to death on a piece of crystallized pineapple half a year after Scorpius graduated.

And now, everyone is here, at Malfoy Manor, to see Rose and Scorpius marry.

There's a rumor that Rose proposed to Scorpius, but Albus thinks that is silly. Augusta thinks it's cute.

Many of the older Weasleys, Potters, Lupins, and Longbottoms look rather uncomfortable on the Malfoy grounds. Hermione in particular refuses to go near the house and is clearly struggling to keep herself under control. Molly Weasley looks extremely old and tired, but her eyes are happy, seeing that one of her youngest grandchildren has found true love. After so many decades with Arthur, she can see it in Rose's eyes. She isn't sure if she wishes Arthur was here to see this or not. She misses him, but at the same time, bringing him to the Malfoy grounds might have killed him if he wasn't already dead. Still, Arthur probably would've gone anywhere for something involving Rose. Molly knows that Rose was his favorite.

The cousins in Rose's age group are thrilled for her. She's the first one to marry since Albus and Augusta tied the knot, and this is exciting!

Draco and Astoria Malfoy sit on the other side, looking impossibly regal. Astoria jumped at the chance to host her son's wedding, and is responsible for much of the wedding's decoration. She's also grown to be very accepting of Rose after Rose turned complete control of the wedding décor over to her. Everyone else thinks it was probably just done in the interests of family harmony, but nobody minds, as Astoria did a fabulous job.

Draco is as silent and pensive as ever, but everyone knows he's really happy for his son too, deep down. Probably.

The music begins, and Albus and Scorpius both snap to attention.

After a few bridesmaids make their way out, Augusta makes her trip down the aisle and is soon standing across from her husband.

She looks stunning with her hair done just so and dressed in her (surprisingly tasteful) bridesmaid's gown, and even though it's slightly stretched over the noticeable baby-bump she's sporting, Albus' eyes have been locked to her since she appeared at the end of the aisle.

Augusta is watching her husband too, thinking he looks very handsome in his robes, though she prefers him in jeans (they show off his bum better.)

Scorpius twiddles nervously as he waits for his wife-to-be.

A moment later, the music changes and Rose appears.

Her hair has been wrestled into submission, Dominique and Victoire have done masterful work on her makeup, and Hermione's subtle but tasteful wedding gown looks even more stunning on her daughter.

Bright mercury silver locks onto clear sky blue and for a moment, the two of them can see nothing else.

Then Rose begins taking the steps that are going to take her into her new life. She has to remind herself to walk slowly.

For the remainder of the ceremony, their eyes remain locked together. Except for when they close them to kiss.

* * *

Thanks for reading this one-shot that wasn't even really mine!


End file.
